Theodor Kollek (1911–2007)

Theodor "Teddy" Kollek was born Kollek Tivadar (Hungarian name order) to a Jewish family in Nagy-Vázsony, Hungary, and grew up in Vienna, Austria. His parents were Margaret (Fleischer) and Alfred Kollek. Teddy grew up to share their Zionist convictions. In 1934, following the rise of the Nazi regime to power in Germany, Kollek emigrated to the British Mandate of Palestine. He was one of the founders of Kibbutz Ein Gev on the Sea of Galilee and was active in the Beitar Movement. In 1937, he married Tamar Schwarz, with whom he had two children. In 1942, during World War II, Kollek was appointed the Jewish Agency's deputy head of intelligence. He became the liaison with MI5, providing information against the underground groups Irgun and Lehi ("Stern Gang") as per the Jewish Agency's policy at the time. He also helped organize the rescue of Jews from Nazi Germany and German-occupied countries and their clandestine immigration to Palestine. In 1947-1948, he represented the Haganah in the USA, raising funds for Israel's fight for independence. He became a close ally of David Ben-Gurion, and after Israel achieved statehood, was appointed an envoy to the USA and then from 1952 to 1964 served as director general of the Prime Minister's office. In 1965, Kollek was elected Mayor of Jerusalem and subsequently re-elected five times, serving a total of 28 years. During his tenure, he worked to develop Jerusalem into a more modern city, especially after its reunification following the Six-Day War of 1967. Kollek dedicated himself to many cultural projects during his term in office, including the building of the Israel Museum and the Jerusalem Theater. In 1988, he was awarded the Israel Prize.